Causeway Coast & Glens Council rejects again proposed changes to Dual Language Street Sign policy

During April’s Environmental Services Committee, Sinn Féin councillor Maighréad Watson unsuccessfully proposed that Council update its current policy.

That policy has been in place since 2015 and requires support of two-thirds of a street’s occupiers on the electoral register to be enacted, while non-responses are effectively treated as a vote in opposition and a reapplication cannot be put forward for five years.

Councillor Watson proposed a successful application threshold of 15%, while only returned responses would be counted and the reapplication restriction period would be determined by elected members.

During May’s full Council meeting, Cllr Watson put forward an amended proposal, with a requirement of 50% positive responses, returned responses counted only, and a one-year period before reapplication.

Cllr Watson said the current policy has been “consistently criticised” by the Irish language community and international experts due to its “unjustifiably high thresholds of support”, as well as the provision that treats non-responses as opposition to an application.

“As a result, to date there has never been a successful application for dual language street signage in this council area,” she noted.

“This is not down to a lack of demand; the demand is most definitely there, but common sense prevails when it is known to a community that the policy has created a barrier that can’t be accessed.

“More so, to add insult to the injury, a five-year suspension follows suit with an unsuccessful application and it is deterring residents from applying.”

PUP councillor Russell Watton warned any dual language signs erected “at the end of my street”, within his Coleraine DEA, would be “down the next morning”.

“I’m telling you, the grinders are sitting waiting,” he said. “You can put them up all you want and they’ll not be up too long, and that’s a fact.”

Councillor Watson’s proposal fell with 18 members voting in favour and 20 voting against.

Speaking about the decision, Dr Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh from Conradh na Gaeilge said Council’s “continue[d] presiding over a restrictive, draconian dual language street signage policy is hugely disappointing, yet entirely unsurprising”.

“In the years since adopting its first policy on dual language signage, fifteen applications have come before the council,” he said. “All of those applications showed significant majority of residents in favour, with little to no opposition.

“Not one of those application were approved. That record alone speaks volumes. The current policy places unjustifiable barriers to success at every stage of the process.

“Most notably, the requirement that 66% of residents must actively support an application, with those who do not respond automatically regarded as being opposed, a clause that has no reasonable basis.

“This, coupled with a five-year ban on reapplication for unsuccessful streets, demonstrates exactly why it has been subject to consistent criticism from international experts, the Irish language community, human rights organisations, local residents, and most recently, the Irish Language Commissioner.

“Conradh na Gaeilge will be working with all interested parties to urgently amend this policy in the weeks and months ahead.”